California’s postcard-worthy peaks and coastal trails are proving hard to beat, with the Golden State claiming half of America’s 10 most popular hikes, according to a new ranking.
Avid hikers flocked to California’s iconic trails, helping the state snag five spots in the nation’s top 10 most popular hiking destinations, according to fitness tracking platform Strava.
“California is continuing to define U.S. hiking culture,” Strava said in a June 11 news release, the Merced SunStar reported.
The top two on the list of best hiking trails in America happen to be inside the breathtaking Yosemite National Park, per the nearly 200 million users on the app.
Located in the Sierra Nevadas in Central California, hikers ranked the Mist/Muir Intersection Down trail —with an elevation change of nearly 500 feet — the most popular trail between April 30, 2025 and May 2026, per the report.
The trails offer “spectacular, up-close views of two large waterfalls, enjoyable scenery along the Merced River, and unique views across Yosemite Valley,” per the park.
“Hikers can take the John Muir Trail on the return from the top of Vernal or Nevada Fall for a semi-loop that is slightly longer than the out-and-back routes.”
The second most popular trail for outdoor enthusiasts is Half Dome, one of the most iconic views of the park ever captured.
Nearly 60 thousand users were tracked on the platform attempting what park officials labeled the “arduous hike” to reach the summit that takes on average 10-12 hours to complete.
“For most, it is an exciting, arduous hike; for a few, it becomes more of an adventure than they wanted,” officials said.
The roundtrip hike is 14-16 miles, with hikers gaining elevation of 4,800 feet to reach the top.
“Rising nearly 5,000 feet above Yosemite Valley and 8,800 feet above sea level, Half Dome is a Yosemite icon and a great challenge to many hikers,” park officials added.
Landing in the 8th spot is a hike in Northern California’s San Francisco’s East Bay area in Fremont. The hike is called Mission Peak-Stanford gate. It is considered a moderate to strenuous trail, with elevations of more than 2,000 feet, according to fitness app Alltrails.
Rounding out the top ten popular hiking trails is Southern California’s Cowles Mountain Descent in San Diego and the Down We Go! Trail in Los Angeles, per the app.
The top ten list is below:
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